CARCINOMA OF THE COLON AND RECTUM - DISTRIBUTION OF ANATOMICAL SITES AND PATHOLOGICAL STAGES

Location of primary site and pathological stage have significant influ ence on the recurrent and survival rates of colorectal cancers, Review of English publications showed that about 25% were of right colon, 10 % transverse, 5% left colon, and 30% each sigmoid or rectal lesions. H istologically, 10% of the cancers were Dukes A, 40% B, and 25% C or D lesions. When B and C lesions were subdivided: B2 cancers were twice a s common as BI lesions; and C2's, over six times that of Cl's, B3 and C3 lesions occurred in 5-10% of the cases. Using the TNM system, stage s I-IV were more evenly divided. Informations presented here are usefu l for studying changes in spatial distribution of colon cancers in the future and for comparing different clinical results from diverse sour ces.